Detachable charger for automatic shotguns



Sept. 3, 1968 P. GIORGINI 3,399,481

DETACHABLE CHARGER FOR AUTOMATIC SHOTGUNS Filed May 1, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z INVENTOR mmzo GIORGINI MM Wu Fun-v ATTORNEY P. GIORGINI DETAGHABLE CHARGER FOR AUTOMATIC SHOTGUNS Sept. 3, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1967 m vE/v R PIETRO G IORG INI 4 EM \"m ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofice 3,399,481 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 3,399,481 DETACHABLE CHARGER FOR AUTOMATIC SHOTGUNS Pietro Giorgini, Via Roma 24, Montignoso,

Massa Carrara, Italy Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,042 Claims priority, application Italy, June 3, 1966, 12,971/ 66 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-87) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A detachable charger for automatic shotguns, adapted to be inserted in a fixed charger tube disposed rigidly along the barrel of the gun in front of a cartridge feeding mechanism to permit easy and rapid replacement of the charger and to facilitate the use of various types of ammunition with the gun.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic sporting guns or shotguns and more specifically to a detachable charger for such guns which have a fixed charger arranged in front of a cartridge feeding mechanism along the barrel of the gun.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a charger of this type which is easily replaceable and exchangeable and the replacement can be effected with the charger loaded or partially filled or completely empty.

The main purpose of providing a detachable and thus exchangeable charger is to permit the use of chargers loaded with cartridges of different types and power in view of the fact that a different type of cartridge has to be used for each type of game.

This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a detachable charger for automatic sporting guns which is inserted in the fixed charger tube existing on the automatic guns of normal construction and disposed rigidly along the barrel in front of the cartridge feeding mechanism, such detachable charger being adapted to be contained in said fixed charger tube which for this purpose has a caliber suificiently large to contain the detachable charger as well as a return spring for the barrel of the gun, and the returnspring, if it is arranged to surround the barrel, has a winding diameter which permits its free deformation under the action of the recoil and the return movement, and the inside diam-- eter of the detachable charger is adapted to that of the ammunition, the detachable charger being provided with a cartridge pusher spring, means for securing it in its seating and means for preventing accidental escape of cartridges therefrom, said last-mentioned means being released when the detachable charger has reached its required position to permit the loading movement of the cartridges and permit the rapid replacement of the detachable charger by another one of the same type loaded with different cartridges.

According to another embodiment of the invention, suitable for use with guns with recovery of gas from the barrel to actuate a breech bolt, the detachable charger is detachably secured to the receiver and arranged to extend along the barrel of the gun. In this case the charger can be detached by providing for its coupling any known type of grooved or screwed connection which secures it, temporarily and in the required position, to a receiver in front of the cartridge lifter of the cartridge feeding mechanism. Further, the detachable charger may be provided with a cartridge pusher spring, means for securing it in its seating and means for retaining and guiding the cartridges, the last-mentioned means being actuated by a lever for retaining and guiding the cartridges in the gun, which also serves as a stopping lever for the breech bolt of the gun.

Two preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows in a partial longitudinal section a first embodiment of the invention as applied to an automatic sporting gun or shotgun with utilization of the recoil, the device according to the invention being shown as being located in the region of the connection of a charger supporting tube to a receiver of the gun;

FIG. 2 shows the lower portion of FIG. 1 on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 shows a detachable charger in an external view and part of the fixed charger supporting tube;

FIG. 4 shows the charger of FIG. 3 in a position rotated through FIG. 5 shows, partly in an external view and partly in section, another embodiment of an improved charger according to the invention constructed for a gun with recovery of gas from the barrel;

FIG. 6 shows the detachable charger of FIG. 5 in a front view or rotated through 90;

FIG. 7 shows, partly in a view from below and partly in longitudinal section, an automatic gun with recovery of gas from the barrel, the section and view being taken at the level of the connection between the charger and the receiver of the gun, and

FIG. 8 shows the gun of FIG. 7 in a lateral view in the region of connection between the barrel and the receiver and of coupling of the charger to the gun.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 2 and the first embodiment of the invention shown therein, a charger supporting tube 1 receives a detachable charger 2 provided with a lug 3 on its underside, which serves as a stop for the cartridges in the detachable charger when the latter is not in its position in the gun. A blade spring 4 retains the lug 3 in its position for holding the cartridges while another lug 5 secured to the receiver engages the blade spring 4 to remove the lug 3 from the cartridges and permit the loading of the barrel by the cartridge feeding mechanism. 6 indicates the first of the cartridges facing the feeding mechanism and 7' denotes a cartridge stopping and guiding device forming part of the automatic mechanism of the gun, but not of the mechanism to be described now, necessary for the operation of the gun.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the device for retaining and releasing the detachable charger in its seat includes a front stopper 7 on a cylindrical body of the charger, which has the purpose of fixing a cartridge pusher spring 30 in its required position within the body and simultaneously carries a spring 8 provided with a detent at its front end and forming part of the guiding and stopping device.

A conventional barrel return spring is indicated by 9 and 10 denotes a threaded ring serving to secure the wooden small of the butt along the barrel of the gun. This small of the butt serves to keep the return spring 9 and the barrel of the gun in their correct position.

The operation of the device according to the invention is as follows:

The detachable charger 2 filled with cart-ridges is inserted in the fixed tube 1 from the front of the gun and pushed to the bottom of the tube 1. The cartridges are held in the charger by the retaining device composed of the parts 3 and 4 of the charger is guided into its correct position and fixed therein by the guide and detent spring 8 which slides in a suitable groove provided in the fixed tube 1. Before the charger reaches the end of its travel, the bottom of the first cartridge therein comes in contact with a stopping and feeding lever 7 of the gun and this cartridge is moved forward compressing slightly the others. While the charger moves on, the lug 3 engages the lug 5 so that the lug 3 is removed from its cartridge retaining position and the cartridges are ready for loading of the gun.

For replacing a filled or partially filled charger on the gun by another one with different ammunition or for removing the ammunition from the gun it is only necessary to release the detent spring 8 from its seating by pressing a button 11 on the end of the detent spring 8 opposite the detent, and to withdraw the charger from the gun. Of course, to unload the gun completely, it will also be necessary to remove the cartridge from the barrel, if the barrel contains one. After the charger has been sufficiently moved forward to release the lug 5 from the lug 3, the lug 3 will again keep the cartridges having remained in the charger from falling out, since the lug 3 advances toward the cartridges under the action of the blade spring 4. Thus, the charger filled completely or partially with cartridges can be removed without risk of the cartridges dropping out and to empty the charger, it will be suflicient to depress with one hand the device formed of the parts 3 and 4 and to collect the cartridges with the other, while for loading of the charger, the cartridges are inserted therein one after the other without particular manipulations.

With reference now to FIGS. 5 to 8 showing the second embodiment of the invention for use with a gun for recovery of gas from the barrel, a detachable charger 13 is provided with a blade spring carrying a lug 14 serving for retaining and guiding a cartridge 16, the spring 15 and lug 14 being shown in a lateral view in FIGS. 5 and 7, and in a front view in FIGS. 6 and 8. 17 and 18 are lateral grooves serving for coupling of the detachable charger 13 to the receiver 12 of the gun and 19 is a latch bolt for securing the charger to the gun. The charger 13 is provided with a handle 20 facilitating gripping of the charger for rapid changing.

In FIG. 7 the detachable charger 13 is shown in the position it occupies when inserted in a receiver 12 of the gun, the cartridge 16 being retained in the charger by the lug 14 carried by the blade spring 15 forming part of the charger and constituting with its lug 14 the device for retaining and guiding the cartridges. The spring 15 contacts a push button 22 on a lever 21 for retaining and guiding the cartridges. The lever 21 is cut out to accommodate the retaining lug 14 of the retaining and guiding device of the charger constituted by the parts 14 and 15.

FIG. 8 shows the gun in a lateral view in the region where the barrel is connected to the receiver and the charger is inserted in the gun from the side of a cocking lever 23 and a breech bolt 24.

The operation of the aforedescribed embodiment of the gun is as follows: The detached charger 13 filled with cartridges is inserted, in a direction parallel to the barrel and with the grooves 17 and 18 in engagement with ribs on the walls of the receiver 12, from below through an opening located in the bottom of the small of the butt and the charger is secured to the gun by means of the latch bolt 19. The cartridges are held in the charger by the retaining and guiding device 14, 15 which in the meantime has engaged the outside surface of the push button 22 of the cartridge retaining and guiding lever 21 of the automatic mechanism of the gun, which in this type of gun also serves as a retaining lever for the breech bolt. The device 14, 15 holds the first cartridge facing a cartridge lifter 25 of the feeding mechanism. During insertion of the charger, the retaining lug 14, during its travel from below to the top and from outside to the inside of the gun, passes through the wall of the receiver on the cut-out portion 26 provided therein, so that the device 14, 15 can engage the push 'button 22 on the retaining and guiding lever 21 of the gun.

When firing a shot, the automatic mechanism of the gun acts upon the lever 21 and the push button 22 pushes back the lug 14 to permit a cartridge to be ejected from the charger. As soon as the cartridge has left the charger, the automatic mechanism of the gun returns the lever 21 into its initial position while the push button 22 permits the lug 14 to prevent the escape of a second cartridge. This operation is repeated until the last shot has been fired and when the cartridges are exhausted the breech bolt remains open. To close the breech bolt, the small plate at the end of the device 14, 15 of the charger is pressed down. For removing the charger it is necessary to release the latch bolt 19 before the charger can be withdrawn. For unloading the gun completely, the one cartridge which may have remained in the barrel must also be removed. For emptying the charger, the device 14, 15 is depressed with one hand and the cartridges are collected with the other. For loading the charger, the cartridges are inserted one after the other without special manipulations.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A detachable charger to contain cartridges for an automatic shotgun having a fixed charger tube disposed along a barrel and in front of a cartridge feeding mechanism which includes a stopping and feeding lever, said detachable charger comprising a cylindrical body open at one end and adapted to be received in said fixed charger tube, a cartridge pusher spring in said body, means for detachably securing said body in position with the open end of the body adjacent said stopping and feeding lever for delivering cartridges thereto, and spring means on said body normally biased in cartridge retaining position for retaining cartridges therein, there being means on said gun for engaging said spring means for deflecting it from the cartridge retaining position to permit a cartridge to emerge therefrom when said body is in said position in the fixed charger tube.

2. A detachable charger to contain cartridges for an automatic shotgun having a receiver with a cartridge lifter therein, a barrel in front of the receiver, and a cartridge retaining and guiding lever which is automatically deflected from a normal cartridge retaining position during operation of the gun, said detachable charger comprising a cylindrical body open at one end and having a cartridge pusher spring therein, means for detachably securing said body to said receiver in position with its open end adjacent said cartridge lifter for delivering cartridges thereto, and spring means on said body normally biased in cartridge retaining position for retaining cartridges therein, said spring means being adapted to engage said cartridge retaining and guiding lever when the body is in said position, to be deflected from its said cartridge retaining position, and thereby permit a cartridge to emerge therefrom, by the said deflection of the lever during operation of the gun.

3. The detachable charger of claim 2 wherein said means for detachably securing the body to the receiver comprises grooves.

4. The detachable charger of claim 2 wherein said means for detachably securing the body to the receiver is a screwed connection.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

